Yoga Body Shop JC

Caitlin is a Yoga Alliance RYT 200 hour certified instructor. She first started the practice eight years ago in the beginning of her own personal revolution. After her first few classes, she realized she loved the intense sense of accomplishment and perseverance she found in this practice. Through the first few years, she enjoyed taking classes for the physical aspect. In 2014, after a close loved ones passing, she realized that yoga, if allowed, is so much more than just the physical. She started the process of living from not knowing and being okay with it.

In the Spring of 2017, Caitlin participated in her first 40 Days to Personal Revolution program. The program spring boarded her growth into new and unknown territories. Caitlin started the 200 hour Yoga Body Institute Yoga Teacher Training that fall and graduated in the spring of 2018, a full year after she took that first unknown step towards growth.

Caitlin has a Bachelor’s Degree in French and a Masters Degree in English as a Second Language and teaches French in a local high school. She realized that her passion for teaching was not just cultural and linguistic knowledge but was self-knowledge and understanding.

Through the physical and mental process of yoga, she has come to believe that not only is anything possible but that the only person stopping possibility from happening is herself. Building a strong body will create a strong mind. Her teaching is a mix of pushing her yogis to reveal the possibility in them and allowing them to accept each stage of the process through physical and mental practice.  

Kate received her Yoga Alliance RYT 200 Hour certification in March 2020 through her recent completion of the Yoga Body Institute Yoga Teacher Training Program at Yoga Body Shop. Kate moved from Indiana in 2018 where she had been practicing power vinyasa yoga at a local Baptiste certified studio for several years. She started her yoga journey as a means to stretch her muscles after challenging gym workouts, but has stayed on her mat because of the clarity and ease each practice brings to her mind - she gets out of her head and away from all the thoughts while she is on her mat. After moving to New York, Kate was in desperate need of a studio that would provide her a community of relatable people, a space for her to roll out her yoga mat on a regular basis, and classes that challenged her both mentally and physically. She chose to visit the Yoga Body Shop, a Baptiste Affiliate Studio, after reading online reviews and she has been a regular in classes ever since.

Kate is a graduate of Indiana University with a BS in Applied Health Science and a focus in Nutrition. She has had a passion for health and fitness for as long as she can remember. She strives to inspire those around her each day to try on a “healthy lifestyle.” Kate spent the first five years out of college working as Director of Healthy Living at her local YMCA before converting to a career in Human Resources. She holds fitness certifications in LesMills BodyPUMP & CX Worx, as well as TRX Small Group Training. In addition, she has experience leading wellness programs and instructing group fitness classes such as cycling, step, bootcamp, HIIT, and water aerobics. She’ll bring the power and motivation to any class she instructs, and she expects you to bring your “A” game, your determination, and your sweat towel!

Through her yoga journey, Kate has transformed both on and off the mat and wants to help others to do the same. No matter what life throws at you, yoga gives you the tools you need to overcome it. A positive and energetic light, Kate is ready to shine bright for her students and inspire them to harness the power within to believe they are STRONG, they are LOVABLE, and they are ENOUGH.

Christina Olevano has a long history of dedication to health and wellness. She has been a certified New York Stat Physical Therapy Assistant since 2003 and has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Community Health. Christina discovered yoga more than 4 years ago and has not stopped practicing since.  Practicing yoga has helped her decrease anxiety and discover a new way of being. Her passion for helping people and love of yoga is what has compelled her to become a yoga teacher and an officer on the Breaking Barriers Yoga 501c3 Board of Directors. Christina’s path to growth continues as she is now a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor, volunteers to teach yoga through Breaking Barriers Yoga and is excited to now be teaching at Yoga Body Shop. 

Jordan is a 200hr certified 26&2 yoga instructor and it is her honor to share her yoga journey with you! Whether you are a newcomer or highly advanced practitioner, it has always been her goal to seek interconnection through the practice of yoga. She began her journey as a student in 2014 and it immediately sparked a flame of passion and desire to learn more. She became a certified instructor in 2016 and since then, has gone to other trainings and workshops that have expanded her knowledge of the series. Her true love is the 26&2 series and she is thrilled to share this with her students! The only requirement is an open-mind and a willingness to try!

Stephanie is a 200hr certified 26&2 yoga instructor. She completed the Hot 26 Revolution teacher training at The Hot Yoga Spot in 2018 and began teaching right away. Stephanie has been practicing various styles of yoga since 2006 and loves all styles including 26&2, Baptiste, vinyasa flow, Barkan, restorative, Barre, Piyo and Pilates.

Stephanie has been a runner for most of her life. Her first yoga class was a big change from any exercise she had previously experienced. She fell in love with the physical challenge of hot yoga and the way it helped her stretch tight muscles from running. She also felt tremendous mental benefits as it helped to melt stress away, leaving her refreshed and relaxed. Stephanie loves the personal growth that she has experienced as a result of yoga. She has become stronger, physically and spiritually, both on and off the mat. Even though the postures are the same, our bodies are not. Therefore, every day is new and exciting in yoga, and there is always an opportunity to learn about ourselves and experience the practice in a new way. Stephanie teaches because she wants to share her passion for this practice with others and believes that everyone can benefit from yoga. It has been life altering for her and she is excited to share her enthusiasm with students and to inspire others to give it a try. 

Abagail has been a student of yoga since 2007 and a 200 hour certified yoga instructor since 2018. While new to teaching, she has cultivated her practice in a variety of studios over the years and is eager to share her experiences. As a lifetime athlete, Abagail was first drawn to yoga for the physical benefits but continued exploring this form of movement for the spiritual expression and mind-body connection. Through her practice and teaching, she seeks to encourage a mindful approach to physical meditation with a playful connection to pose experimentation and personal growth.  

Ron is a Baptiste Yoga Certified Teacher and Yoga Alliance RYT 500 Registered Yoga Instructor, and has been teaching yoga for seven years. Being a former bodybuilder and fitness fanatic, Ron is no stranger to getting into and staying in shape.

When he was first introduced to yoga more than seven years ago, he tried to incorporate his athletic and competitive principles to his yoga practice. He soon found out that yoga is not a competition but rather a tool for personal growth and a way to connect deeper with your own mind and body. He has learned that in yoga practice it is important to accept where you are and to appreciate the other teachers and students and be inspired by their abilities. He has learned how to draw upon the energy from the other people in the room to help remove mental blocks and achieve personal breakthroughs. Ron is a trained dental specialist who knows that the way to continue to grow in life is directly proportional to the work put forth. Yoga has become Ron's passion which has given him the desire to share what he is learning with his students.

His classes are a perfect blend of strength and flexibility which helps improve total body strength and shape while maximizing flexibility. Ron believes that the basis of most advanced yoga postures is a strong core. His class flows from one pose to the next virtually from start to finish. As in all yoga styles, the breath will lead you into each posture. Ron's goal is to help his students maximize their potential and to achieve poses that they didn't think they would ever be able to. He utilizes a combination of long holds and flowing sequences which helps students to build strength and improve focus while raising their heart rate. Ron is a perpetual student and is continually improving his own yoga practice. He frequents many yoga studios throughout the US and enjoys bringing back exciting new sequences, transitions and postures. His classes are enjoyed by all! His class prepares students to achieve arm balances and inversions. A strong core is the key. By getting his students to really focus on being present during their practice, they are able to clear their minds of their daily stresses and at the end of each class; students are rewarded with 10 minutes of well-deserved relaxation. Students will leave the class feeling relaxed refreshed and empowered and looking forward to their next yoga experience.

Kendal has a passion for alternative medicine and wellness. Kendal currently manages the juice bar at Yoga Body Shop and has received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2015 as well as her Master’s degree in Gerontology in 2019 from Marywood University. She is a NAHA certified 235 hour aromatherapist and a 200 hour certified yoga instructor through Yoga Body Shop as well as a volunteer for Breaking Barriers Yoga non-profit. Kendal found her love for yoga and Yoga Body Shop in 2017 when searching for alternative routes to battling severe depression and anxiety. Since then, Kendal has truly transformed her way of being and has committed to making a yoga practice accessible and welcoming for anyone and everyone. As an instructor, Kendal welcomes her students to look inside themselves to explore what is truly possible for them in their life and on their mat.

Jennifer is a Certified Baptiste Instructor and a 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. During her transformation with the YBS teacher trainings, she was empowered to also seek out Baptiste training and completed her certification with Baptiste Yoga in September of 2016. While Jennifer loves the challenging practice of power vinyasa flow she is also certified to teach Yin Yoga.

Jennifer practiced yoga on and off for 10 years before finding her home at Yoga Body Shop. While making a shift in her lifestyle, she began her transformation with the teacher training program at YBS in October 2014. Though Jennifer originally started her yoga practice for physical reasons, she soon realized that the real work begins on the inside and that instead of being a work out – it can be a work in. She is inspired daily by the community at Yoga Body Shop and seeks to inspire her students in every class.

Jennifer encourages her students to listen to their body yet explore their edge. Her passion and strength encourage her students to change not only their bodies, but also their minds.

Tina’s introduction to yoga began with DVD’s and YouTube videos. She has always believed that physical activity is essential to a healthy mind and body. However, something was always missing, no matter how many miles she ran, or how many hours were spent at the gym. She was curious to see if yoga would be the necessary addition to her workout to feel “complete” and indeed it was. Yoga helped her discover that there’s more to health and fitness than the way you look. Having been a former dancer for 13 years, yoga re-introduced her to her love of dance, reminding her that even the things we did when were young can still be significant to us later in life. The cliché harmony of “mind, body, spirit” began to make sense.

Her introduction to Yoga Body Shop started almost by accident. She applied for a job at the front desk for some extra money, but mostly hoping for free yoga. Her first class there was unlike any other yoga experience she had before. The heat, the sweat, the energy… she absolutely fell in love. Igniting a curiosity in her, she began to explore other types of yoga including yin and aerial. She loves yoga in all its form but found a special passion for aerial. Yoga sparked something inside her, it was the missing link she had been searching for. Wanting to share that others, she enrolled and completed the Yoga Body Institute 200 and 300 Teacher Training program. She has also completed the Level I and II Assist and Align Workshop, and a 40-hour yin yoga teacher training. Her most project as a 500-hour RYT was co-leading a 20-hour aerial teacher training.

You can find Tina practicing on her mat or flying in the aerial silks at Yoga Body Shop. Her free time is mostly spent with books, music, the outdoors, and watching horror movies under a mound of blankets. Always up for an adventure, Tina invites everyone to get on their mat or hang upside down to find their own missing link!